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National Health Information Network: Who's Doing What?

• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology: The mission of this office, headed by David Brailer, M.D., is to implement the president's vision for widespread adoption of interoperable electronic health records. The office has been charged with four primary responsibilities:
  
  • To serve as the senior advisor to the secretary of Health and Human Services and the president on all health information technology programs and initiatives.
    
  • To develop and maintain a strategic plan to guide nationwide implementation of interoperable electronic health records in the public and private health care sectors.
    
  • To coordinate spending of about $4 billion for health information technology programs and initiatives across the federal enterprise.
    
  • To coordinate all outreach activities to private industry and serve as the catalyst for health care industry change. Its Web address is <www.os.dhhs.gov/healthit>.
    
  
  
• Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology: The mission of this voluntary, industry-sponsored group is to accelerate adoption of interoperable health information technology (HIT) throughout the U.S. health care system by creating an efficient, credible, sustainable mechanism for the certification of HIT products. Its Web address is <www.cchit.org>.
  
• Physicians' Electronic Health Record Coalition (PEHRC): This coalition of 21 physician organizations, including APA, assists physicians, particularly those in small and mid-sized practices, to acquire and use affordable, standards-based electronic health records and other HIT to improve quality, enhance patient safety, and increase efficiency. Its Web address is <www.pehrc.org>.
  
• APA Corresponding Committee on Electronic Health Records: The APA Board of Trustees gave the committee these charges in December 2004:
  
  • Identify vital activities such as software development for decision support and data collection in quality improvement, patient safety, public health monitoring, and research efforts.
    
  • Develop brief reports providing the psychiatric perspective on relevant issues as a basis for APA positions and recommendations for member educational efforts.
    
  • Advise APA representatives to PEHRC on issues affecting psychiatry.
    
  • Develop and maintain an awareness of emerging legislative and regulatory initiatives as well as national standards for electronic health records and provide input for APA testimony and comment.
    
  • Maintain a constant interface with the APA Committee on Quality Indicators as it reviews and provides input about performance-measurement programs.
    
  • Educate APA members about the intent, uses, and safeguards of the emerging electronic health records infrastructure. Inquiries about the committee's work may be sent by e-mail to qips{at}psych.org.
    
  
  
• American Health Information Community ("the Community"): On June 6 Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the formation of this national collaboration to help the transition to electronic health records—including common standards and interoperability. The Community will be chartered for two years, with the option to renew and a duration of no more than five years. Its Web address is <www.os.dhhs.gov/healthit/ahic.html>.
  

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